Monday, October 22, 2012

Wayang Mask Dance Jatiduwur. Dancers perform Jatiwudur Mask Dance at Jatiwudur village in Jombang, East Java province. The performance was aimed to revitalise Jombang's traditional Jatiwudur mask dance from the 18th century which is in danger of extinction.

Wayang (puppet) Mask Jatiduwur, 40 Years Buried

Yaud (46), a laborer Jatiduwur villagers, drenched in sweat after dancing Klono demonstrate the staging of "A Decade of Awakening Jatiduwur Wayang Mask", in the village Jatiduwur, District Kesamben, Jombang, East Java. Jatiduwur village, about 30 meters from the Brantas River basin, which is usually silent bells and whistles of the entertainment that night turned into public places like fairs. Dozens pitchman poured around the staging wayang mask Jatiduwur. There are peddling a variety of children's toys, bath ball arena games, and food and beverage.

"Watching wayang mask reminds me of the time of 'sunatan nanggap' puppet mask Jatiduwur. I am very happy wayang mask Jatiduwur alive again and we became a bustling village, "said Saripan (60), a resident of Jatiduwur who were enjoying the show that night. Not only Saripan, other residents also meet performance arena, ranging from children to adults. All the people watching the show who've rarely greet and entertain the people. "Staging wayang mask in order to commemorate the resurrection of Wayang Jatiduwur mask is already the fourth time in the village Jatiduwur," said the leader of the wayang mask Jatiduwur, Supriyo (54).

Reputedly, the wayang mask has been around since the nineteenth century with the figure Mbah Purwo (deceased), from Menganti, Gresik. He and his entourage traveled the world while singing and eventually settled in the village of Jatiduwur. "Mbah Purwo who introduced the wayang mask Jatiduwur after buying a set of masks from the village head of Anggis, from Betek, Mojoagung. The mask itself is derived from Trowulan, "said Supriyo. Supriyo, religion teacher at Elementary School Sumber Teguh, District Kudu, Jombang, adding, every time you walk past the house of one heir Jatiduwur mask, he recalled his childhood, when the Jatiduwur wayang mask arts heritage Mbah Purwo was in response to people who currently have votive or said (promise).

"Iku nggone topeng biyen, eman banget kok yo gak enek sing nerusne (Javanese: Art puppet mask unfortunately no forward)," said Supriyo. The passage of time continues to roll until finally one family heir, Suhariyanto (deceased), a former chairman of the wayang mask Jatiduwur, offered him as well as asking him wayang mask Jatiduwur revived. "The offer was a mandate. Then I gathered the family heir Jatiduwur wayang mask, and thank God they bless me to revive Jatiduwur wayang mask, "he added.

Not Easy
Difficulties after difficulties arose. Because the actors of wayang mask arts Jatiduwur many who died. Even if there are any left, they were already up. And to revive the puppet arts Jatiduwur masks that have been buried for a long time, need to know the exact figure of the perpetrator's existence of wayang mask. "I, then went to one after another puppet mask Jatiduwur who are still alive, such as Mbah Nadi, Mbah Nasri, Mbah Ngari, Mbah Sadi, and Mbah Samid. Then I ask them to teach how to play gamelan and mask dance to residents who want to be a puppet, "said Supriyo.

As a result, September 2001, 20 residents Jatiduwur keen and interested in becoming an artist wayang mask. They are farmers, agricultural laborers and construction workers. Once a week they practice in a simple marquee in front of the house Mbah Sumarni, one heir mask Jatiduwur, Jatiduwur Village, District Kesamben, Jombang. Over time, one by one the people who originally diligent practice that was "disappeared" by a variety of reasons. Some are dead and some are working outside of Java. "Until now, which still survive since the wayang mask Jatiduwur was revived in 2001, myself, Suwono, Tariman, Giman, Yaud, and Supriyono," said Bahrul (41), the player Jatiduwur wayang mask.

Bahrul, who daily are a laborer, said he was happy can be an puppet mask artist even though as a child it had never dreamed of being a puppet mask performer. "Initially hard to move the body and it felt stiff. After continuous practice guidance by Mbah Nadi, I can not be the wayang, says Bahrul. Resurrection Jatiduwur wayang mask can not be separated from the self-sacrificing Supriyo energy, thoughts, and financially. This mask wayang had a vacuum in five years. This Vacuum was related to allegations that hurts Supriyo himself , as the leader of the wayang mask. He was accused by some of its members to "corrupt" the money from the gig at the invitation of the East Java Cultural Park, in 2006.

"I worry that my self-esteem as a child waking fade just because accused of embezzling money. Then I resigned to be the head of Jatiduwur wayang mask, "said Supriyo. From the beginning to revive wayang mask, in Supriyo heart and mind not occurred desire for financial gain, especially corruption. "My desire, how the wayang mask can rise up and live again so the kids can look back and see the wayang mask Jatiduwur as cultural heritage and the heritage village Jatiduwur," said Supriyo.

Encouragement as well as strong pressure from the family and heirs of artists Jombang that puppet mask was brought back eventually make Supriyo who graduated from Tebuireng boarding school and Rejoso boarding school Jombang it was moved back commanding the proficiency level. Alhamdulillah, finally everyone knows what I do for a puppet mask Jatiduwur, "he said. Traditional art wayang masks Jatiduwur the culprit was the farmers, farm workers, and construction workers, may be an expression of modesty in them a sense of pride to mask wayang performers.

"While it is tired, feels proud to perform in everyday society. Understandably, from morning to evening I was hoeing in the fields, "said Yaud, the dancer wayang Jatiduwur mask after performed Kelono mask dance. Wayang mask began to recede in early New Order regime, then buried for forty years, is now up and live again. Ideally, this art got appreciation from many quarters.

Translate
the song is rather difficult because the poems are always poetic folk songs.
Poem consists of four lines, the first two lines are attached as flavor while
the last two lines are the contents of messages to be delivered.

Natinittip sanggar (sanggar, cut the same length, sanggar: a plant family graminae used to make a bird
cage).

Lao bahen huru-huruan (to make huru, huru:
something that is placed on the horns of the buffalo as a means to try
to fight the other buffalo).

This song is rarely sung, usually sung by a group gambang kromong on special events, a special events such as weddings. Today, only a few people know the lyrics of this song. You could say this classical song is on the verge of extinction.

China Benteng

The name of "China Benteng (China Fortress)" comes from the word "Benteng", the old name of the city of Tangerang. At that time there was a Dutch fort in the city of Tangerang on the riverbank Cisadane, functioned as a post security to prevent attacks from the Sultanate of Banten, the castle is a fortress defense leading the Dutch in Java. Chinese Benteng Society have several generations living in Tangerang which has now grown to three cities/regencies, Tangerang city, Tangerang regency and South Tangerang city.

According to the history book titled Tina Layang Parahyang (note from Parahyangan), the presence of the Chinese community in Tangerang and Batavia are there at least since 1407 NI. The book tells about the landing of the first group of mainland China led Tjen Tjie Lung alias Halung in Cisadane River estuary, which has now changed its name to Dragon Bay.

Chinese Benteng tribal clothing is a blend of large ethnic Chinese traditional dress (a predominantly Hokkien) and ethnic Betawi traditional clothes. Traditional men clothes such as baju black koko and trousers, with a distinctive hat similar to caping hat. While women traditional clothes called hwa kun, a blouse and a subordinate form complete with headdress and face coverings blinds. However sometimes used encim kebaya, with flower accents rocking the headdress, which shows the influence of Batavia in her suit.

The Chinese Benteng known as the color of their skin slightly darker (though still yellow) compared to people of Chinese descent in Indonesia, they are more similar to the Vietnamese people than the Chinese. Their art is the famous art-tionghoa betawi mix, Cokek is a pair of men and women dance with musical accompaniment gambang kromong. The religion of diverse including Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Ancestor Worship, Worship of Heaven, and there are few who are Muslims.

It draws from China Benteng that even they haven't speak Chinese anymore, they still preserve the ancestral culture and traditions of China, it can be seen from those who use the traditional wedding ceremony style Manchu dynasty (Qing), they also wear clothes like Manchu dynasty style such as Manchu robe and Mancu hat at the time of marriage. The Chinese Benteng is one of Chinese community in Indonesia, which has the blood of the Manchus, because only these Chinese people who still use fortress-style the Manchu Dynasty marriage ceremony after Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912, in China itself, the Qing Dynasty style wedding ceremony was almost lost and very rare.

In addition, many people china Benteng is actually a descendant of the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty (Manchu clan Aisin-Giorio or Aixinjueluo in mandarin). They are descendants of an illegitimate child outcomes affair between Emperor Qianlong with a beautiful girl surnamed Wang in Fujian province.

Because the Emperor do not want the affair became public, to hide the facts, the illegitimate child of a relationship is forced to use their mother's surname, that is "Wang" in mandarin or "Ong" in Hokkien. They are the Chinese Benteng people surnamed "Ong" in Hokkien or "Wang" in the Mandarin dialect. But not all Chinese Benteng people surnamed Ong are Aixinjueluo descendants. Those who are the descendants of the Emperor Qianlong dynasty now use traditional Indonesian name Wangsa Mulya/Wangsa Mulia.

Name is derived from the Noble House of Sanskrit, Wangsa (dynasty), and Mulia (pure) when translated to English becomes "Pure Dynasty". While the word "Qing" itself means "pure". So the Wangsa Mulia literally means "Qing Dynasty". Most of the Wangsa Mulya family and others Ong family clan do not realize that they are the descendants of the empire,however the blood and breath Kingdom Qing Empire keep flowing in them. They adhere to modern life, but the ultra-conservative and anti-feminism as feudalism.